Grants for Travel to Libraries

The American Antiquarian Society offers three broad categories of visiting research fellowships, with tenures ranging from one to twelve months. All of the fellowships are designed to enable academic and independent scholars and advanced graduate students to spend an uninterrupted block of time doing research in the AAS library.Funding: Varies by programApplications due: Varies by program

The J. Franklin Jameson Fellowship is sponsored jointly by the AHA and the Library of Congress. It is awarded annually to support significant scholarly research in the collections of the Library of Congress by scholars at an early stage in their careers in history. PhD degree or equivalent required. Applicants must have received this degree within the past seven years, and must not have published or had accepted for publication a book-length historical work. The fellowship will not be awarded to complete a doctoral dissertationFunding: $5,000Applications due: April 1

Mary Catherine Mooney Fellowship, courtesy of a long-time teacher in the Boston Public School system, offers a stipend of $1,500 for a residency of twenty days (four weeks) and includes a year’s membership to the Boston Athenæum. Scholars, graduate students, independent scholars, teaching faculty, and professionals in the humanities as well as teachers and librarians in secondary public, private, and parochial schools are eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or foreign nationals holding the appropriate U.S. government documents.Funding: Up to $1,500Applications due: April 15

The Maurice A. Biot Fund offers research assistance to use the collections of the Caltech Archives. For the Biot award, preference will be given to those working in the history of technology, especially in the fields of aeronautics, applied mechanics and geophysics.Funding: Up to $2,000Applications due: May 1 and November 1

To promote advanced scholarship, the David Library of the American Revolution offers short-term Resident Research Fellowships for conducting research in its collections. DLAR’s rich resources in microfilm and print on virtually every aspect of the era of the American Revolution (1750-1800) are fully listed on this web site. Fellows receive 24-hour access to the Library. The term of the Fellowship is one month. Both doctoral and post-doctoral applicants are welcome to apply; doctoral candidates must have passed their general examinations before beginning their fellowships.Funding: $1,000 - $1,600 stipend (one month)Applications due: March 7

Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection offers One-Month Research Stipends to scholars holding the PhD or other relevant terminal degree (e.g., MLArch for Garden and Landscape studies applicants) and working on research projects in Byzantine studies, Pre-Columbian studies, or Garden and Landscape studies. One-Month Research Stipends are available to scholars engaged in advanced research in one of Dumbarton Oaks' three subject specialties or in related areas for which use of books, objects, or other materials in the collections of its library, museum, or archives is necessary.Funding: $3,000Applications due: March 1, June 1, October 1

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation awards several Research Travel Grants in support of research in the holdings of the Gerald R. Ford Library. A grant defrays travel and living expenses of a research trip to the Ford Library. Library collections focus on Federal policies, U.S. foreign relations, and national politics in the 1960s and 1970s. There are earlier and later materials depending upon your topic.Funding: Up to $2,000Applications due: March 15 and September 15

Getty Library Research Grants provide partial, short-term support for costs relating to travel and living expenses for scholars whose research requires use of specific collections housed in the Getty Research Institute. Library Research Grants are intended for scholars of all nationalities and at any level who demonstrate a compelling need to use materials housed in the Research Library, and whose place of residence is more than eighty miles from the Getty Center. Projects must relate to specific items in the library collection.Funding: $500 - $2,000Applications due: Fall of 2015

The Gilder Lehman Institute of American History: Fellowships

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History offers annual short-term research fellowships to doctoral candidates, university faculty, and independent scholars working in the field of American history. This year, preference will be given to applicants whose research is focused on primary sources in the Gilder Lehrman Collection. As part of their award, the 2015 Fellows will be provided with a work station at the main office of the Gilder Lehrman Institute in Manhattan, where they will receive special access to American History, 1493-1945—a comprehensive and magisterial database newly published by Adam Matthew Digital containing more than 50,000 digitized documents from the Gilder Lehrman Collection. An overview of the database is available at www.americanhistory.amdigital.co.uk.Funding: $3,000Applications due: May 15

Hagley Center for the History of Business, Technology and Society: Exploratory Research Grants

These grants support one-week visits by scholars who believe that their project will benefit from Hagley research collections, but need the opportunity to explore them on-site to determine if a Henry Belin du Pont research grant application is warranted. Priority will be given to junior scholars with innovative projects that seek to expand on existing scholarship. Proposals must demonstrate which Hagley collections might be pertinent to the project. Low-cost accommodations on Hagley's grounds are available on first-come, first serve basis.Funding: $400Applications due: March 31, June 30, October 31

Research Grants are awarded twice annually to offset the cost of conducting research at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum. Funding is calculated on the following basis: 1) $75 for any night spent in Independence, Missouri to cover lodging and meals; 2) airfare based on the best advance-coach fare available; 3) $100 allowance for photocopying (ground transportation, including rental car fees, will not be reimbursed).Funding: Up to $2,500Applications due: April 1 and October 1

Heckman Stipends, made possible by the A.A. Heckman Endowed Fund, are awarded semi-annually. Funds may be applied toward travel to and from Collegeville, housing and meals at Saint John’s University, and costs related to duplication of HMML’s microfilm or digital resources. The Stipend may be supplemented by other sources of funding but may not be held simultaneously with another HMML Stipend or Fellowship. Holders of the Stipend must wait at least two years before applying again. The program is specifically intended to help scholars who have not yet established themselves professionally and whose research cannot progress satisfactorily without consulting materials to be found in the collections of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library.Funding: Up to $2,000Applications due: April 15

The Nicky B. Carpenter Fellowship in Manuscript Studies was established in 2012 by Nicky B. Carpenter of Wayzata, Minnesota, a Lifetime Member and former chair of the HMML Board of Overseers. The purpose of the Fellowship is to support residencies at HMML for research by senior scholars using the digital or microfilm manuscript collections at HMML. (Graduate students and recent postdoctoral scholars should apply for the Heckman Stipends or the Swenson Family Fellowship for Eastern Christian Manuscript Studies). The award is $5,000 in support of a residency of at least two weeks. Funds may be applied toward travel to and from Collegeville, housing and meals at Saint John’s University, and costs related to duplication of HMML’s microfilm or digital resources. The Fellowship may be supplemented by other sources of funding but may not be held simultaneously with another HMML fellowship. Holders of the Fellowship must wait at least two years before applying again.Funding: $5,000 stipend in support of a residency of at least 2 weeksApplications due: April 15

The purpose of the Fellowship is to support residencies at HMML for graduate students or postdoctoral scholars with demonstrated expertise in the languages and cultures of Eastern Christianity. Awardees must be undertaking research on some aspect of Eastern Christian studies requiring use of the digital or microfilm manuscript collections at HMML. The program is specifically designed to aid new scholars in establishing themselves through research focused on manuscripts available through HMML. Postdoctoral scholars are understood to be those who at the time of application are within three years of being awarded a doctoral degree.Funding: $2,500 - $5,000Applications due: April 15 and December 15

The Everett Helm Visiting Fellowship program supports research and provides access to the collections of the Lilly Library for scholars residing outside the Bloomington area. Project proposals should demonstrate that the Lilly Library's resources are integral to proposed research topics. Candidates are encouraged to inquire about the appropriateness of a proposed topic before applying. Successful applicants will receive an award of up to $1,500 in support of travel, living, and/or research expenses. Awards must be used within one year of the award date and recipients must reside in Bloomington during the period of their awards.Funding: Up to $1,500Applications due: September 30

The Lilly Library of Indiana University invites applications for fellowships of up to $40,000 during the academic year in support of research in the library's Bernardo Mendel collections. Established through a bequest by the estate of Johanna Lenz Mendel in 1998, the Mendel Fellowships are intended to support research by scholars from around the world in areas of particular interest to the Mendels, including: the history of the Spanish Colonial Empire; Latin American independence movements; European expansion in the Americas; voyages, travels and exploration; geography, navigation and cartography; German literature and history; and music, including sheet music. The amount of the stipend is based on the length of stay, which may range from one week to a full academic year. The fellowship is intended to cover travel to the Lilly Library and living expenses while in residence.Funding: Up to $40,000Applications due: September 30

The purpose of the Fellowship is to support residencies at HMML for graduate students or postdoctoral scholars with demonstrated expertise in the languages and cultures of Eastern Christianity. Awardees must be undertaking research on some aspect of Eastern Christian studies requiring use of the digital or microfilm manuscript collections at HMML. The program is specifically designed to aid new scholars in establishing themselves through research focused on manuscripts available through HMML. Postdoctoral scholars are understood to be those who at the time of application are within three years of being awarded a doctoral degree.Funding: $2,500 - $5,000Applications due: April 15 and December 15

The Everett Helm Visiting Fellowship program supports research and provides access to the collections of the Lilly Library for scholars residing outside the Bloomington area. Project proposals should demonstrate that the Lilly Library's resources are integral to proposed research topics. Candidates are encouraged to inquire about the appropriateness of a proposed topic before applying. Successful applicants will receive an award of up to $1,500 in support of travel, living, and/or research expenses. Awards must be used within one year of the award date and recipients must reside in Bloomington during the period of their awards.Funding: Up to $1,500Applications due: September 30

The Lilly Library of Indiana University invites applications for fellowships of up to $40,000 during the academic year in support of research in the library's Bernardo Mendel collections. Established through a bequest by the estate of Johanna Lenz Mendel in 1998, the Mendel Fellowships are intended to support research by scholars from around the world in areas of particular interest to the Mendels, including: the history of the Spanish Colonial Empire; Latin American independence movements; European expansion in the Americas; voyages, travels and exploration; geography, navigation and cartography; German literature and history; and music, including sheet music. The amount of the stipend is based on the length of stay, which may range from one week to a full academic year. The fellowship is intended to cover travel to the Lilly Library and living expenses while in residence.Funding: Up to $40,000Applications due: September 30

The fellowships are intended to support scholars in the production of substantial works in either of the following areas: the foreign policy of the Kennedy Presidency, especially in the Western Hemisphere; or the Kennedy Administration's domestic policy, particularly with regard to racial justice or the conservation of natural resources. The successful candidate(s) will develop at least a portion of their original research using archival materials from the Kennedy Library.Funding: Up to $5,000Applications due: August 15

The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Visiting Research Fellowship for scholars who wish to do research that requires significant use of the Institute’s collections. The fellowship is $3000 for the period of at least one month, for research to be performed during the period 1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016. A selected list of holdings with brief collection descriptions may be found at the Institute website, http://go.osu.edu/tri. Fellows are expected to be in continuous residence for the period of the award. It is anticipated that during their residencies, fellows will share their work with the university community through a lecture, master class, or other appropriate means. A brief final report on research conducted during the residency must be submitted within two months after the completion of the residency.Funding: $3,000 stipendApplications due: April 15

The Ohio State University Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute Irwin and Jane Spector Fellowship The Irwin and Jane Spector Fellowship for scholars engaged in graduate-level, post-doctoral, and independent research that requires significant use of the Institute's collections on Dalcroze Eurhythmics. Fellowship stipends are $750 per week for a minimum of two and maximum of four weeks. For detailed information about the Dalcroze research resources of The Lawrence and Lee Theatre Research Institute, please see collection finding aids: Irwin Spector Collection: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/xOU-TR0010; Dalcroze School of Music Collection: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/xOU-TR0015; Dalcroze Society of America Collection: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/xOU-TR1001; John Colman Collection: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/xOU-TR0013. Fellows are expected to be in continuous residence for the period of the award. It is anticipated that during their residencies, fellows will share their work with the university community through a lecture, master class, or other appropriate means. A brief final report on research conducted during the residency must be submitted within two months after the completion of the residency.Funding: Stipends of $750/week, 2-4 week durationApplications due: April 15

Short-Term Fellowships are available to postdoctoral scholars, PhD candidates, or those who hold other terminal degrees and who live and work outside of the Chicago Metro area. Most fellowships require residency at the Newberry and are intended to support individual scholarly research. Additionally, applicants must have a specific need for the Newberry’s collection. Some Short-Term Fellowships are open to other categories of applicants and Chicago residents, so please read the descriptions below carefully in order to determine your eligibility. The tenure for a Short-Term Fellowship is one continuous month, but scholars who have an extensive need for the collections may request up to two months of support. Please consult the Newberry’s Core Collections and Catalogs and Guides prior to writing your fellowship proposal. This will ensure that you are familiar with the Newberry’s collections and help strengthen your application.Funding: $2,500/monthnApplications due: Fall

The Richard E. Greenleaf Visiting Library Scholar award provides individuals the opportunity to work as visiting researchers with the University of New Mexico's Latin American library collections, one of the largest and most complete Latin or Spanish American collections in the country. Invited to apply are scholars (U.S. and international), junior faculty (U.S.) and graduate students (U.S.) who specialize in Latin America and Iberia. Recipients of the Richard E. Greenleaf Visiting Library Scholar award will work to promote scholarly use of the Latin American and Iberian collections, focusing on objectives with specific relevance to the UNM Library collections. Scholars will have the opportunity to present their research to faculty and students during their visit to UNM and to submit a brief report. LAII will assist awardees in identifying and networking with UNM scholars in relevant fields.Funding: $2,000 (minimum 2 week visit); $6,000 (minimum 6 week visit)Applications due: March

During the 2015-2016 academic year, the State Historical Society of Iowa will award up to ten research stipends of $1,000 each to support original research and interpretive writing related to the history of Iowa or Iowa and the Midwest. Preference will be given to applicants proposing to pursue previously neglected topics or new approaches to or interpretations of previously treated topics. The State Historical Society of Iowa invites applicants from a variety of backgrounds, including academic and public historians, graduate students, and independent researchers and writers. Applications will be judged on the basis of their potential for producing publishable work. Grant recipients will be expected to produce an annotated manuscript targeted for The Annals of Iowa, the State Historical Society of Iowa's scholarly journal.Funding: $1,000 stipendApplications due: April 15

The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History at the University of San Francisco Center for the Pacific Rim annually awards travel grants to encourage faculty members, graduate students, and other researchers from outside of the San Francisco Bay Area to use the Institute’s library and archival collections for their research. Research topics may include, but are not limited to Chinese-Western cultural exchange, interaction and/or encounters, Jesuit interaction with China from the late Ming through early 20th century, and/or the history of Christianity in China.Funding: $1,000Applications due: March 31, April 15, December 15

Through the Smith Travel Award, the Briscoe Center for American History will assist masters, doctoral, and post-doctoral students with costs associated with travel to Austin, Texas. The award is intended for students who need to conduct in-depth research in the holdings of the Briscoe Center and who reside outside of the Austin metropolitan area. The Research and Collections Division in Sid Richardson Hall is the Briscoe Center's main research facility and the repository for the vast majority of the Briscoe Center’s book, manuscript, map, newspaper, photographic, sound, and ephemera collections. Research collection strengths include: American South; Civil Rights and Social Justice; Congressional and Political; Energy and Natural Resources; Archives of American Mathematics; Military History; Music; News Media History; Photography; Texas History; Professional Touring Entertainment; University of Texas; and Western Americana.Funding: Up to $1,000Applications due: February 28

National Endowment for the Arts

The NEA Literature Fellowships program offers $25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and general career advancement. MoreFunding: $25,000Applications due: March 11 in 2015

Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process in which the only criteria for review are artistic excellence and artistic merit. To review the applications, the NEA assembles a different advisory panel every year, each diverse with regard to geography, race and ethnicity, and artistic points of view.
The NEA Literature Fellowships program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry available in alternating years. For FY 2016, which is covered by these guidelines, fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) are available. Fellowships in poetry will be offered in FY 2017 and guidelines will be available in January 2016. You may apply only once each year.
Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,000 applications each year in this category and award fellowships to fewer than 5% of applicants. You should consider carefully whether your work will be competitive at the national level.

We Do Not Fund

Individuals who previously have received two or more Literature Fellowships (in poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Individuals who have received any Literature Fellowship (in poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts within the past ten years.

News reporting.

Scholarly writing. (Writers who are engaged in scholarly work may wish to contact the National Endowment for the Humanities.)

Through fellowships to published translators, the Arts Endowment supports projects for the translation of specific works of prose, poetry, or drama from other languages into English. More

Funding: $12,500 or $25,000Applications due: December 8 in 2014

We encourage translations of writers and of work that are not well represented in English translation. All proposed projects must be for creative translations of literary material into English. The work to be translated should be of interest for its literary excellence and value. Priority will be given to projects that involve work that has not previously been translated into English.

Competition for fellowships is rigorous. Potential applicants should consider carefully whether their work will be competitive at the national level.

We Do Not Fund

Individuals who previously have received three or more Literature Fellowships (in prose or poetry) or Translation Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Individuals who have received any Literature Fellowship (in prose or poetry) or Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts within the past five years.

Applicants applying with the same project for more than three consecutive years.
Scholarly writing. (Writers who are engaged in scholarly work may wish to contact the National Endowment for the Humanities.)

Work toward academic degrees.

National Endowment for the Humanities

NEH’s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. The Bridging Cultures through Film: International Topics program supports films that examine international themes and subjects in the humanities. The films are meant to spark Americans’ engagement with the broader world by exploring countries and cultures outside of the United States. The Division of Public Programs encourages innovative nonfiction storytelling that presents multiple points of view in creative formats. At the center of every NEH-funded film is a core set of humanities ideas developed with the input of scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring the humanities alive for people of all ages and all walks of life. The proposed film must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship. It may be as short as thirty minutes or as long as a feature-length film.

The program invites a wide range of approaches to international topics and themes, such as: an examination of a critical issue in ethics, religion, literature, or history, viewed through an international lens; an exploration of a topic that transcends a single nation-state; a biography of a foreign leader, writer, artist, or historical figure; or an exploration of the history and culture(s) of a specific region, country, or community outside of the United States.Funding: Up to $75,000 over up to 3 years for development; up to $650,000 over up to 3 years for productionApplications due: June 10 in 2015

The mission of the NEH Office of Challenge Grants is to advance knowledge and understanding in the humanities by strengthening the institutional base of humanities teaching, scholarly research, public programming, and other humanities activities. Challenge grants are capacity-building grants, intended to support significant humanities activities of high intellectual quality and to help institutions secure long-term support for their humanities programs. Through these grants many organizations and institutions have been able to increase their humanities capacity and secure the permanent support of an endowment. Grants may be used to establish or enhance endowments or spend-down funds that generate expendable earnings to support and enhance ongoing program activities. Challenge grants may also provide capital directly supporting the procurement of long-lasting objects, such as acquisitions for archives and collections, the purchase of equipment, and the construction or renovation of facilities needed for humanities activities. Funds spent directly must be shown to bring long-term benefits to the institution and to the humanities more broadly. Grantee institutions may also expend up to 10 percent of total grant funds (federal funds plus matching funds) to defray costs of fundraising to meet the NEH challenge. Because of the matching requirement, these NEH grants also strengthen the humanities by encouraging nonfederal sources of support. Note: Successful applicants will be offered a matching grant. Recipients must raise three times the amount of federal funds offered. Up to10% of the total grant funds (federal funds plus matching funds) may be used to defray the costs of fundraising to meet the NEH challenge.

Collaborative Research Grants support interpretive humanities research undertaken by a team of two or more scholars, for full-time or part-time activities for periods of one to three years. Support is available for various combinations of scholars, consultants, and research assistants; project-related travel; field work; applications of information technology; and technical support and services. All grantees are expected to communicate the results of their work to the appropriate scholarly and public audiences.

Eligible projects include: research that significantly adds to knowledge and understanding of the humanities; conferences on topics of major importance in the humanities that will benefit scholarly research; archaeological projects that include the interpretation and communication of results (projects may encompass excavation, materials analysis, laboratory work, field reports, and preparation of interpretive monographs); and research that uses the knowledge and perspectives of the humanities and historical or philosophical methods to enhance understanding of science, technology, medicine, and the social sciences.Funding: Awards range from $25,000 to $100,000 per year for 1-3 years. Awards for conferences are typically made for a minimum of 1 year and normally range from $15,000 to $65,000 per grant.
Applications due: December 7 in 2016

This program is designed to fund the implementation of innovative digital-humanities projects that have successfully completed a start-up phase and demonstrated their value to the field. Such projects might enhance our understanding of central problems in the humanities, raise new questions in the humanities, or develop new digital applications and approaches for use in the humanities. The program can support innovative digital-humanities projects that address multiple audiences, including scholars, teachers, librarians, and the public. Applications from recipients of NEH’s Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants are welcome. Unlike NEH’s start-up grant program, which emphasizes basic research, prototyping, experimentation, and potential impact, the Digital Humanities Implementation Grants program seeks to identify projects that have successfully completed their start-up phase and are well positioned to have a major impact. Proposals are welcome for digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Digital Humanities Implementation Grants may involve: research that brings new approaches or documents best practices in the study of the digital humanities; implementation of computationally-based methods or techniques for humanities research; implementation of new digital tools for use in humanities research, public programming, or educational settings; efforts to ensure the completion and long-term sustainability of existing digital resources (typically in conjunction with a library or archive); scholarship that examines the history, criticism, and philosophy of digital culture and its impact on society; scholarship or studies that examine the philosophical or practical implications of the use of emerging technologies in specific fields or disciplines of the humanities, or in interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines; or implementation of new digital modes of scholarly communication that facilitate peer review, collaboration, or the dissemination of humanities scholarship for various audiences.

The Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants program awards relatively small grants to support the planning stages of innovative projects that promise to benefit the humanities. Proposals should be for the planning or initial stages of digital initiatives in any area of the humanities. Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants may involve: research that brings new approaches or documents best practices in the study of the digital humanities; planning and developing prototypes of new digital tools for preserving, analyzing, and making accessible digital resources, including libraries’ and museums’ digital assets; scholarship that focuses on the history, criticism, and philosophy of digital culture and its impact on society; scholarship or studies that examine the philosophical or practical implications and impact of the use of emerging technologies in specific fields or disciplines of the humanities, or in interdisciplinary collaborations involving several fields or disciplines; innovative uses of technology for public programming and education incorporating both traditional and new media; and new digital modes of publication that facilitate the dissemination of humanities scholarship in advanced academic as well as informal or formal educational settings at all academic levels. Innovation is a hallmark of this grant category, which incorporates the “high risk/high reward” paradigm often used by funding agencies in the sciences. NEH is requesting proposals for projects that take some risks in the pursuit of innovation and excellence. Digital Humanities Start-Up Grants should result in plans, prototypes, or proofs of concept for long-term digital humanities projects prior to implementation.

NEH’s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. At the center of every NEH-funded public humanities project is a core set of humanities ideas developed by scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring humanities ideas alive for people of all ages and all walks of life. The Digital Projects for the Public program supports projects such as websites, mobile applications, games, and virtual environments that significantly contribute to the public’s engagement with humanities ideas. More

Projects must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship in a discipline such as history, religion, anthropology, jurisprudence, or art history. Digital Projects for the Public grants support projects that are largely created for digital platforms. While these projects can take many forms, shapes, and sizes, you should apply to this program primarily to create digital projects or the digital components of a larger project. NEH is a national funding agency, so these projects should demonstrate the potential to attract a broad, general audience. Projects can have specific targeted audiences (including K-12 students), but they should also strive to cultivate a more inclusive audience.

Funding: Awards are made for a period of one to three years and may range up to $30,000 (for Discovery grants) or up to $100,000 (for Prototyping grants). See Program Guidelines for definitions.
Applications due: June 10 in 2015

The Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) program is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Made urgent by the imminent death of an estimated half of the 6000-7000 currently used languages, this effort aims also to exploit advances in information technology. Awards support fieldwork and other activities relevant to recording, documenting, and archiving endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. DEL funding is available in the form of one- to three-year project grants as well as fellowships for six to twelve months. At least half the available funding will be awarded to projects involving fieldwork.

All DEL applications are submitted to NSF for review. Upon completion of the review process, the administration of awards is conducted separately by NEH or NSF. Application materials are available on the National Science Foundation's website.Funding: Senior Research Projects: Approximately 8-12 Standard or Continuing Grants ranging from $12,000 to $150,000 per year for one to three years.
Fellowships: Up to 12, $4,200 per month for awards lasting from six to twelve months; the maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month tenure period. (See full NSF Program Description)
Applications due: September 15 in 2015

The NEH Enduring Questions grant program supports faculty members in the preparation of a new course on a fundamental concern of human life as addressed by the humanities. This question-driven course would encourage undergraduates and teachers to join together in a deep and sustained program of reading in order to encounter influential ideas, works, and thinkers over the centuries. What is an enduring question? The following list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive but serves to illustrate:

Are there universals in human nature?

What is the source of moral authority?

What is evil?

Can war be just?

How do we differ from other animals?

Is peace possible?

What is worth dying for?

What is the value of education?

Can greed be good?

What is good government?

What is progress?

Am I my brother's keeper?

Funding: NEH Enduring Questions grants can provide up to $38,000 in outright funds for projects serving a single institution. The size of the maximum award depends on the number of faculty involved in developing the course. For a course developed by a single faculty member, the

maximum award is $22,000; for a course developed by two faculty members, the maximum award is $33,000; for a course developed by three or four faculty members, the maximum award is $38,000.

Grants for Fellowship Programs at Independent Research Institutions (FPIRI) support fellowships at institutions devoted to advanced study and research in the humanities. Recognizing that at times scholars need to work away from their homes and institutions, the FPIRI program offers fellowships that provide scholars with research time, a stimulating intellectual environment, and access to resources that might otherwise not be available to them. Fellowship programs may be administered by independent centers for advanced study, libraries, and museums in the United States; American overseas research centers; and American organizations that have expertise in promoting research in foreign countries. Individual scholars apply directly to the institutions for fellowships. A list of currently funded institutions is available. In evaluating applications consideration is given to the library holdings, archives, special collections, and other resources—either on site or nearby—that institutions make available to fellows. FPIRI grants provide funding to programs for humanities fellowships of four to twelve months. The fellowships are held at the U.S. grantee institutions or—in the case of overseas research centers and organizations—abroad. Fellowship tenure must be fulltime and continuous.

Funding: FPIRI grants support fellowship stipends at a rate of $4,200 per month and a portion of the costs of selecting the fellows, up to $7,000.

Fellowships support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources in the humanities. Projects may be at any stage of development.

Funding: Fellowships support continuous full-time work for a period of six to twelve months. Successful applicants receive a stipend of $4,200 per month. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period.

The Fellowship Program for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan is a joint activity of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Awards support research on modern Japanese society and political economy, Japan's international relations, and U.S.-Japan relations. The program encourages innovative research that puts these subjects in wider regional and global contexts and is comparative and contemporary in nature. Research should contribute to scholarly knowledge or to the general public’s understanding of issues of concern to Japan and the United States. Appropriate disciplines for the research include anthropology, economics, geography, history, international relations, linguistics, political science, psychology, public administration, and sociology. Awards usually result in articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources.

The fellowships are designed for researchers with advanced language skills whose research will require use of data, sources, and documents in their original languages or whose research requires interviews onsite in direct one-on-one contact. Fellows may undertake their projects in Japan, the United States, or both, and may include work in other countries for comparative purposes. Projects may be at any stage of development.

Funding: Fellowships support continuous full-time work for a period of six to twelve months. Successful applicants receive a stipend of $4,200 per month. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period.

The Humanities Collections and Reference Resources (HCRR) program supports projects that provide an essential underpinning for scholarship, education, and public programming in the humanities. Thousands of libraries, archives, museums, and historical organizations across the country maintain important collections of books and manuscripts, photographs, sound recordings and moving images, archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, art and material culture, and digital objects. Funding from this program strengthens efforts to extend the life of such materials and make their intellectual content widely accessible, often through the use of digital technology. Awards are also made to create various reference resources that facilitate use of cultural materials, from works that provide basic information quickly to tools that synthesize and codify knowledge of a subject for in-depth investigation.

Funding: The maximum award for implementation projects is $350,000, for up to three years. The maximum award for Foundations projects is $40,000 for up to two years. See full Program Guidelines for definitions.

The Humanities Open Book Program is designed to make outstanding out-of-print humanities books available to a wide audience. By taking advantage of low-cost “ebook” technology, the program will allow teachers, students, scholars, and the public to read humanities books that have long been out of print. Humanities Open Book is jointly sponsored by NEH and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Traditionally, printed books have been the primary medium for expressing, communicating, and debating humanistic ideas. However, the vast majority of humanities books sell a small number of copies and then quickly go out of print. Most scholarly books printed since 1923 are not in the public domain and are not easily available to the general public. As a result, there is a huge, mostly untapped resource of remarkable scholarship going back decades that is largely unused by today’s scholars, teachers, students, and members of the public, many of whom turn first to the Internet when looking for information. Modern ebook technology can make these books far more accessible than they are today. NEH and Mellon are soliciting proposals from academic presses, scholarly societies, museums, and other institutions that publish books in the humanities to participate in the Humanities Open Book Program. Applicants will provide a list of previously published humanities books along with brief descriptions of the books and their intellectual significance. Depending on the length and topics of the books, the number to be digitized may vary. However, NEH and Mellon anticipate that applicants may propose to digitize a total that ranges from less than fifty to more than one hundred books. Awards will be given to digitize these books and make them available as Creative Commons-licensed “ebooks” that can be read by the public at no charge on computers, mobile devices, and ebook readers. The final ebook files must be in EPUB version 3.0.1 (or later) format, to ensure that the text is fully searchable and reflowable and that fonts are resizable on any e-reading device.

These NEH grants support national or regional (multistate) training programs for scholars and advanced graduate students to broaden and extend their knowledge of digital humanities. Through these programs, NEH seeks to increase the number of humanities scholars using digital technology in their research and to broadly disseminate knowledge about advanced technology tools and methodologies relevant to the humanities. The projects may be a single opportunity or offered multiple times to different audiences. Institutes may be as short as a few days and held at multiple locations or as long as six weeks at a single site. For example, training opportunities could be offered before or after regularly occurring scholarly meetings, during the summer months, or during appropriate times of the academic year. The duration of a program should allow for full and thorough treatment of the topic. Today, complex data—its form, manipulation, and interpretation—are as important to humanities study as more traditional research materials. Datasets, for example, may represent digitized historical records, high-quality image data, or even multimedia collections, all of which are increasing in number due to the availability and affordability of mass data storage devices and international initiatives to create digital content. Moreover, extensive networking capabilities, sophisticated analytical tools, and new collaboration platforms are simultaneously providing and improving interactive access to and analysis of these data as well as a multitude of other resources. The Institutes for Advanced Topics in the Digital Humanities program seeks to enable humanities scholars in the United States to incorporate advances like these into their scholarship and teaching.

The Landmarks of American History and Culture program supports a series of one-week residence-based workshops for a national audience of K-12 educators. NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops use historic sites to address central themes and issues in American history, government, literature, art, music, and related subjects in the humanities. Each workshop is offered twice during the summer. Workshops accommodate thirty-six school teachers (NEH Summer Scholars) at each one-week session.

The goals of the workshops are to:

increase knowledge and appreciation of subjects, ideas, and places significant to American history and culture through humanities reading and site study;

build communities of inquiry and provide models of civility and of excellent scholarship and teaching;

provide teachers with expertise in the use and interpretation of historical sites and of material and archival resources; and

foster interaction between K-12 educators and scholarly experts.

NEH Landmarks Workshops are academically rigorous and focus on key primary sources and scholarly works relevant to major themes of American history and culture. Leading scholars should serve as lecturers or seminar leaders. Workshops should also enable participants to work with primary documents and develop a project. NEH Landmarks Workshops are held at or near sites important to American history and culture, such as presidential residences or libraries; colonial-era settlements; major battlefields; historic districts; parks and preserves; sites of key economic, social, political, and constitutional developments; and places associated with major writers, artists, and musicians. Applicants should make a compelling case for the historical significance of the site(s), the material resources available for use, and the ways in which the site(s) will enhance the workshop. NEH Landmarks Workshops may be hosted by institutions or organizations such as community colleges, universities, four-year colleges, learned societies, libraries or other repositories, centers for advanced study, cultural organizations, professional associations, and schools or school systems. NEH expects host institutions to provide facilities conducive to scholarly engagement with topics and sites. Host institutions should arrange suitable housing for participants, which participants pay for from stipends provided by NEH.

Funding: Awards for Landmarks Workshops will range between $150,000 and $180,000, assuming that a one-week session costs approximately $75,000 to $90,000. The award period is fifteen months: October 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016.

NEH’s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. At the center of every NEH-funded public humanities project is a core set of humanities ideas developed by scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring those ideas to life for people of all ages and all walks of life. Projects must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship in a discipline such as history, religion, anthropology, jurisprudence, or art history. NEH is a national funding agency, so the projects we support must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad, general audience. We welcome humanities projects tailored to particular groups, such as families, youth (including K-12 students), teachers, seniors, at-risk communities, and veterans, but they should also strive to cultivate a more inclusive audience.

Media Projects grants support the following formats:

film and television projects;

radio projects.

Film and television projects may be single programs or a series addressing significant figures, events, or ideas. Programs must be intended for national distribution. The Division of Public Programs welcomes projects ranging in length from short-form to broadcast-length video.

Radio projects may involve single programs, limited series, or segments within an ongoing program. They may also develop new humanities content to augment existing radio programming or add greater historical background or humanities analysis to the subjects of existing programs. They may be intended for regional or national distribution.

NEH encourages projects that engage public audiences through multiple formats in the exploration of humanities ideas. Proposed projects might include complementary components to a film, television, or radio project. These components should deepen the audience’s understanding of the subject in a supplementary manner: for example, book/film discussion programs, websites, mobile applications, museum exhibitions, or podcasts.

Projects for online distribution

Media Projects development grants do not support film, television, or radio projects that are disseminated exclusively online If you seek to develop an online-only film, television, or radio project (or a digital project that is independent of a film, television, or radio program), you should apply to the Digital Projects for the Public grant program. Please contact a Division of Public Programs program officer if you have questions about which grant program best fits your project.

To be competitive, applicants must have a solid command of the major humanities scholarship on their subject, have clarified the ideas that the project will consider, and have consulted with a team of scholarly advisers to work out the intellectual issues that the program will explore. The team of scholars must represent major fields relevant to the subject matter and offer diverse perspectives and approaches. As needed, the project team may also include other participants with experience and knowledge appropriate to the project’s formats or technical requirements.

Development grants enable media producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and to prepare programs for production. Grants should result in a script and should also yield a detailed plan for outreach and public engagement in collaboration with a partner organization or organizations.

Funding: Awards for development typically range from $40,000 to $75,000, depending on the complexity of the project, and are usually made for a period of six to twelve months.

Basic development grants of up to $40,000 are available for activities that include collaborating with scholars to refine the humanities content, undertaking archival research, and conducting preliminary interviews. These grants should culminate in the creation of a brief treatment.

Awards of up to $75,000 are available for the scripting of a film, television program, or radio program; and for the development of more complex projects that would have exceptionally wide reach to audiences through either of the following:

NEH’s Division of Public Programs supports activities that engage millions of Americans in understanding significant humanities works and ideas. At the center of every NEH-funded public humanities project is a core set of humanities ideas developed by scholars, matched to imaginative formats that bring those ideas to life for people of all ages and all walks of life. Projects must be analytical and deeply grounded in humanities scholarship in a discipline such as history, religion, anthropology, jurisprudence, or art history. NEH is a national funding agency, so the projects we support must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad, general audience. We welcome humanities projects tailored to particular groups, such as families, youth (including K-12 students), teachers, seniors, at-risk communities, and veterans, but they should also strive to cultivate a more inclusive audience.

Media Projects grants support the following formats:

film and television projects;

andradio projects.

Film and television projects may be single programs or a series addressing significant figures, events, or ideas. Programs receiving production grants may be either broadcast or disseminated online. But in either case they must be intended for national distribution. The Division of Public Programs welcomes projects ranging in length from short-form to broadcast-length video.

Radio projects may involve single programs, limited series, or segments within an ongoing program. They may also develop new humanities content to augment existing radio programming or add greater historical background or humanities analysis to the subjects of existing programs. Programs receiving production grants may be either broadcast or disseminated online. They may be intended for national or regional distribution.

NEH encourages projects that engage public audiences through multiple formats in the exploration of humanities ideas. Proposed projects might include complementary components to a film, television, or radio project. These components should deepen the audience’s understanding of the subject in a supplementary manner: for example, book/film discussion programs, websites, mobile applications, museum exhibitions, or podcasts.

To be competitive, applicants must have a solid command of the major humanities scholarship on their subject, have clarified the ideas that the project will consider, and have consulted with a team of scholarly advisers to work out the intellectual issues that the program will explore. The team of scholars must represent major fields relevant to the subject matter and offer diverse perspectives and approaches. As needed, the project team may also include other participants with experience and knowledge appropriate to the project’s formats or technical requirements.

Production grants support the production and distribution of films, television programs, radio programs, and related programs that promise to engage the public. Film, television, and radio projects that are disseminated only online are supported at the production stage but not at the development stage.

Funding: Awards last for one to three years and may range from $100,000 to $650,000. In rare circumstances, Chairman’s Special Awards of up to $1 million are available for projects that will reach an exceptionally large audience. See full Program Guidelines for details.

NEH is soliciting proposals from institutions to participate in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP is creating a national digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1836 and 1922, from all the states and U.S. territories. This searchable database will be permanently maintained at the Library of Congress (LC) and will be freely accessible via the Internet. (See the website, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers.) An accompanying national newspaper directory of bibliographic and holdings information on the website directs users to newspaper titles available in all types of formats. During the course of its partnership with NEH, LC will also digitize and contribute to the NDNP database a significant number of newspaper pages drawn from its own collections. NEH intends to support projects in all states and U.S. territories, provided that sufficient funds allocated for this purpose are available. One organization within each U.S. state or territory will receive an award to collaborate with relevant state partners in this effort. Previously funded projects will be eligible to receive supplements for continued work, but the program will give priority to new projects. In particular, the program will give priority to projects from states and territories that have not received NDNP funding.

Funding: Cooperative agreements of up to $325,000 over two years are anticipated

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in the United States and the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft e.V., DFG) are working together to offer support for projects that contribute to developing and implementing digital infrastructures and services for humanities research. In order to encourage new approaches and develop innovative methods in any field of the humanities, these grants provide funding for up to three years in any of the following areas:

developing innovative methods—as well as standards and best practices—for building and merging digital collections that are significant and of major current interest, for use in humanities research;

Collaboration between U.S. and German partners is a key requirement for this grant category. Each application must be sponsored by at least one eligible German individual or institution, and at least one U.S. institution (see Section III, Eligibility, below), and there must be a project director from each country. The partners will collaborate to write a single application package. The U.S. partner will submit the package to NEH via Grants.gov, and the German partner will submit it to DFG via regular postal service and preferably also by e-mail.

The Public Scholar program supports well-researched books in the humanities intended to reach a broad readership. Although humanities scholarship can be specialized, the humanities also strive to engage broad audiences in exploring subjects of general interest. They seek to deepen our understanding of the human condition as well as current conditions and contemporary problems. The Public Scholar program aims to encourage scholarship that will be of broad interest and have lasting impact. Such scholarship might present a narrative history, tell the stories of important individuals, analyze significant texts, provide a synthesis of ideas, revive interest in a neglected subject, or examine the latest thinking on a topic. Books supported by this program must be grounded in humanities research and scholarship. They must address significant humanities themes likely to be of broad interest and must be written in a readily accessible style. Making use of primary and/or secondary sources, they should open up important and appealing subjects for wider audiences. The challenge is to make sense of a significant topic in a way that will appeal to general readers. By establishing the Public Scholar program, NEH enters a long-term commitment to encourage scholarship in the humanities for general audiences. In the early rounds of the competition, NEH especially welcomes applicants who are in the writing stages of their projects or who already have a commitment from a publisher. However, the Public Scholar program also supports projects in the early stages of development. The program is open to both individuals affiliated with scholarly institutions and independent scholars.

Funding: The Public Scholar program supports fellowships for continuous full-time work for a period of six to twelve months. Successful applicants receive a stipend of $4,200 per month. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period.

The Research and Development program supports projects that address major challenges in preserving or providing access to humanities collections and resources. These challenges include the need to find better ways to preserve materials of critical importance to the nation’s cultural heritage—from fragile artifacts and manuscripts to analog recordings and digital assets subject to technological obsolescence—and to develop advanced modes of organizing, searching, discovering, and using such materials. This program recognizes that finding solutions to complex problems often requires forming interdisciplinary project teams, bringing together participants with expertise in the humanities; in preservation; and in information, computer, and natural science. All projects must demonstrate how advances in preservation and access would benefit the cultural heritage community in supporting humanities research, teaching, or public programming.

What's New for 2015 - The Research and Development program is now offering grants of up to $75,000 for planning and basic research (Tier I). The grants support planning and preliminary work for large-scale research and development projects, and stand-alone basic research projects (such as case studies, experiments, and the development of iterative tools). The program (formerly known as Preservation and Access Research and Development) continues as well to offer grants of up to $350,000 for advanced implementation (Tier II): the development of standards, practices, methodologies, or workflows for preserving and creating access to humanities collections; and applied research addressing preservation and access issues concerning humanities collections. Applicants for Tier II grants will need to provide a separate one- to two-page detailed plan for dissemination of project results. Also, starting in 2016 the program will hold an annual project directors' meeting that will not only highlight the progress of NEH-funded projects, but also engage the range of issues related to the stewardship of humanities collections.

Funding: For Planning and Basic Research (Tier I) projects, the maximum award is $75,000 for up to two years. For Advanced Implementation (Tier II) projects, the maximum award is $350,000 for up to three years. Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright funds, federal matching funds, or a combination of the two, depending on the applicant’s preference and the availability of NEH funds. Matching funds are released when a grantee secures gift funds from eligible third parties. See full Program Guidelines for details.

Scholarly Editions and Translations grants support the preparation of editions and translations of pre-existing texts and documents of value to the humanities that are currently inaccessible or available in inadequate editions. Typically, the texts and documents are significant literary, philosophical, and historical materials; but other types of work, such as musical notation, are also eligible. Projects must be undertaken by a team of at least one editor or translator and one other staff member. These grants support full-time or part-time activities for periods of one to three years. Applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the best practices recommended by the Association for Documentary Editing or the Modern Language Association Committee on Scholarly Editions. Translation projects should also explain the approach adopted for the particular work to be translated. Editions and translations produced with NEH support contain scholarly and critical apparatus appropriate to the subject matter and format of the edition. This usually means introductions and annotations that provide essential information about the form, transmission, and historical and intellectual context of the texts and documents involved.

Proposals for editions of foreign language materials in the original language are eligible for funding, as well as proposals for editions of translated materials.

Funding: Awards are made for one to three years. Awards usually range from an average of $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Indirect costs (if any) are included in the awarded amount. Successful applicants will be awarded a grant in outright funds, matching funds, or a combination of the two, depending on the applicant’s preference and the availability of funds. The use of federal matching funds is encouraged. Federal matching funds are released on a one-to-one basis when a grantee secures gift funds from eligible third parties. See full Program Guidelines for details.

These grants support faculty development programs in the humanities for school teachers and for college and university teachers. NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes may be as short as two weeks or as long as five weeks.

NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes

extend and deepen knowledge and understanding of the humanities by focusing on significant topics and texts;

contribute to the intellectual vitality and professional development of participants;

build communities of inquiry and provide models of civility and excellent scholarship and teaching; and

link teaching and research in the humanities.

An NEH Summer Seminar or Institute may be hosted by a college, university, learned society, center for advanced study, library or other repository, cultural or professional organization, or school or school system. The host site must be suitable for the project, providing facilities for scholarship and collegial interaction. These programs are designed for a national audience of teachers. Note that NEH Summer Seminars and Institutes may be held only in the United States and its territories. Projects in foreign countries are no longer supported.

What's New for 2014-2015 - Prospective applicants to direct a Summer Seminar or Institute in the summer of 2016 (application deadline, February 24, 2015) are now encouraged to submit to program staff an optional preliminary sketch of their proposals (deadline, December 15, 2014). You can find the form for the preliminary sketch (in MS Word) under "Program Resources" in the sidebar on the right. NEH staff will also continue to provide feedback on partial or full application drafts (deadline, January 24, 2015). Both opportunities for receiving feedback are optional.

Funding: Awards for seminars range between $75,000 and $150,000 for a grant period of twelve months.

Awards for institutes range from $90,000 to $200,000 for a grant period of fifteen months.

Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations, editions, or other scholarly resources. Summer Stipends support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two consecutive months. Summer Stipends support projects at any stage of development. Summer Stipends are awarded to individual scholars. Organizations are not eligible to apply.

Funding: Summer Stipends support continuous full-time work on a humanities project for a period of two months. Successful applicants receive a stipend of $6,000.

Applications due: October 1 in 2015

National Science Foundation: Support in Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences and the Law

The Decision, Risk and Management Sciences program supports scientific research directed at increasing the understanding and effectiveness of decision making by individuals, groups, organizations, and society. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary research, doctoral dissertation research improvement grants (ddrigs), and workshops are funded in the areas of judgment and decision making; decision analysis and decision aids; risk analysis, perception, and communication; societal and public policy decision making; management science and organizational design. The program also supports small grants that are time-critical (Rapid Response Research - RAPID) and small grants that are high-risk and of a potentially transformative nature (EArly-Concept Grants for Exploratory Research - EAGER). For detailed information concerning these two types of grants, please review Chapter II.D of the NSF Grant Proposal Guide.

Funded research must be grounded in theory and generalizable. Purely algorithmic management science proposals should be submitted to the Operations Research Program rather than to DRMS.

Applications due: January 18 and August 18
Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the DRMS Program

The Economics program supports research designed to improve the understanding of the processes and institutions of the U.S. economy and of the world system of which it is a part. This program also strengthens both empirical and theoretical economic analysis as well as the methods for rigorous research on economic behavior. It supports research in almost every area of economics, including econometrics, economic history, environmental economics, finance, industrial organization, international economics, labor economics, macroeconomics, mathematical economics, and public finance.

The Economics program welcomes proposals for individual or multi-investigator research projects, doctoral dissertation improvement awards, conferences, workshops, symposia, experimental research, data collection and dissemination, computer equipment and other instrumentation, and research experience for undergraduates. The program places a high priority on interdisciplinary research. Investigators are encouraged to submit proposals of joint interest to the Economics Program and other NSF programs and NSF initiative areas. The program places a high priority on broadening participation and encourages proposals from junior faculty, women, other underrepresented minorities, Research Undergraduate Institutions, and EPSCoR states.

The program also funds conferences and interdisciplinary research that strengthens links among economics and the other social and behavioral sciences as well as mathematics and statistics.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Economics Program
Applications due: January 18 and August 18

The Law & Social Sciences Program considers proposals that address social scientific studies of law and law-like systems of rules. The Program is inherently interdisciplinary and multi-methodological. Successful proposals describe research that advances scientific theory and understanding of the connections between law or legal processes and human behavior. Social scientific studies of law often approach law as dynamic, made in multiple arenas, with the participation of multiple actors. Fields of study include many disciplines, and often address problems including though not limited to:

Crime, Violence and Punishment

Economic Issues

Governance

Legal Decision Making

Legal Mobilization and Conceptions of Justice

Litigation and the Legal Profession

LSS provides the following modes of support:

Standard Research Grants and Grants for Collaborative Research

Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowships

Workshop and Conference Awards

LSS also participates in a number of specialized funding opportunities through NSF’s crosscutting and cross-directorate activities, including, for example:

Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI)

Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID)

Early-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER)

Funding: Up to $300,000 in direct costs over 2-3 years’ duration for standard or collaborative grants
Applications due: January 15 and August 1

The Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics (MMS) Program is an interdisciplinary program in the Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences that supports the development of innovative, analytical, and statistical methods and models for those sciences. MMS seeks proposals that are methodologically innovative, grounded in theory, and have potential utility for multiple fields within the social and behavioral sciences. As part of its larger portfolio, the MMS Program partners with a consortium of federal statistical agencies to support research proposals that further the development of new and innovative approaches to surveys and to the analysis of survey data.

The MMS Program provides support through a number of different funding mechanisms. The following mechanisms are addressed in this solicitation:

The Political Science Program supports scientific research that advances knowledge and understanding of citizenship, government, and politics. Research proposals are expected to be theoretically motivated, conceptually precise, methodologically rigorous, and empirically oriented. Substantive areas include, but are not limited to, American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, political behavior, political economy, and political institutions.

In recent years, program awards have supported research projects on bargaining processes; campaigns and elections, electoral choice, and electoral systems; citizen support in emerging and established democracies; democratization, political change, and regime transitions; domestic and international conflict; international political economy; party activism; political psychology and political tolerance. The Program also has supported research experiences for undergraduate students and infrastructural activities, including methodological innovations, in the discipline.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Political Science Program
Applications due: January 15 and August 15

Organizations -- private and public, established and entrepreneurial, designed and emergent, formal and informal, profit and nonprofit -- are critical to the well-being of nations and their citizens. They are of crucial importance for producing goods and services, creating value, providing jobs, and achieving social goals. The Science of Organizations (SoO) program funds basic research that yields a scientific evidence base for improving the design and emergence, development and deployment, and management and ultimate effectiveness of organizations of all kinds.

SoO funds research that advances our fundamental understanding of how organizations develop, form and operate. Successful SoO research proposals use scientific methods to develop and refine theories, to empirically test theories and frameworks, and to develop new measures and methods. Funded research is aimed at yielding generalizable insights that are of value to the business practitioner, policy-maker and research communities.

SoO welcomes any and all rigorous, scientific approaches that illuminate aspects of organizations as systems of coordination, management and governance.

In considering whether a particular project might be a candidate for consideration by SoO, please note:

Levels of analysis may include (but are not limited to) organizational, cross-organizational collaborations or relationships, and institutional and can address individuals, groups or teams.

Research methods may be qualitative and quantitative and may include (but are not limited to) archival analyses, surveys, simulation studies, experiments, comparative case studies, and network analyses.

Consistent with NSF merit review criteria, each SoO proposal should discuss both the intellectual merit and the potential broader impacts of the proposed research. SoO values basic research that has the potential to provide broader societal benefits. However, the majority of space in any proposal will need to be dedicated to the explication of theory, methods, and specific contribution to the evidence base about organizational effectiveness.

Projects that aim to implement and subsequently evaluate particular organizational training, effectiveness or change programs, rather than to advance fundamental, generalizable knowledge, are not appropriate for SoO.

The Science, Technology, and Society (STS) program supports research that uses historical, philosophical, and social scientific methods to investigate the intellectual, material, and social facets of the scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical (STEM) disciplines. It encompasses a broad spectrum of STS topics including interdisciplinary studies of ethics, equity, governance, and policy issues that are closely related to STEM disciplines, including medical science.

Funding: Total direct costs will rarely exceed $400,000 over 2-3 years
Applications due: February 2 and August 3

The Sociology Program supports basic research on all forms of human social organization -- societies, institutions, groups and demography -- and processes of individual and institutional change. The Program encourages theoretically focused empirical investigations aimed at improving the explanation of fundamental social processes. Included is research on organizations and organizational behavior, population dynamics, social movements, social groups, labor force participation, stratification and mobility, family, social networks, socialization, gender roles, and the sociology of science and technology. The Program supports both original data collections and secondary data analysis that use the full range of quantitative and qualitative methodological tools. Theoretically grounded projects that offer methodological innovations and improvements for data collection and analysis are also welcomed. Click here for information on Strengthening Qualitative Research through Methodological Innovation and Integration.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Sociology Program
Applications due: February 2 and August 3

The Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program supports interdisciplinary research that examines human and natural system processes and the complex interactions among human and natural systems at diverse scales. Research projects to be supported by CNH must include analyses of four different components: (1) the dynamics of a natural system; (2) the dynamics of a human system; (3) the processes through which the natural system affects the human system; and (4) the processes through which the human system affects the natural system. CNH also supports research coordination networks (CNH-RCNs) designed to facilitate activities that promote future research by broad research communities that will include all four components necessary for CNH funding.

Funding: Large Research Projects, $500,000 to $1,800,000 over 205 years; Small Research Projects, $150,000 to $500,000 over 2-5 years

As specified in the Geography and Spatial Sciences Program strategic plan, the goals of the NSF Geography and Spatial Sciences (GSS) Program are:

To promote scientific research in geography and the spatial sciences that advances theory and basic understanding and that addresses the challenges facing society.

To promote the integration of geographers and spatial scientists in interdisciplinary research.

To promote education and training of geographers and spatial scientists in order to enhance the capabilities of current and future generations of researchers.

To promote the development and use of scientific methods and tools for geographic research.

The Geography and Spatial Sciences Program sponsors research on the geographic distributions and interactions of human, physical, and biotic systems on Earth. Investigators are encouraged to propose plans for research about the nature, causes, and consequences of human activity and natural environmental processes across a range of scales. Projects on a variety of topics qualify for support if they offer promise of contributing to scholarship by enhancing geographical knowledge, concepts, theories, methods, and their application to societal problems and concerns.

GSS provides support through a number of different funding mechanisms:

Early-concept grants for exploratory research (EAGER) and other special kinds of award mechanisms established by NSF may be supported in rare and unusual cases. (GSS strives to be open to ideas and approaches in early stages of development and emphasizes the potential longer-term significance of new lines of inquiry as part of its merit evaluation of all proposals.)

Funding: Regular research awards supported by GSS generally range from between $40,000 to $400,000. Faculty early-career development (CAREER) awards must be a minimum of $400,000, with CAREER awards supported by GSS rarely exceeding $550,000. Awards to support conferences, workshops, group travel, and/or other community-development activities generally range between $20,000 and $300,000. Research coordination network (RCN) awards generally range between $300,000 and $500,000. RAPID awards generally range between $20,000 and $60,000. All figures in the preceding sentences are totals that include both direct and indirect costs for the entire duration of the award. Somewhat larger funding amounts may be possible if other NSF programs participate in co-funding of a project with GSS.

The Cognitive Neuroscience Program seeks highly innovative and interdisciplinary proposals aimed at advancing a rigorous understanding of how the human brain supports thought, perception, affect, action, social processes, and other aspects of cognition and behavior, including how such processes develop and change in the brain and through time.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Cognitive Neuroscience Program
Applications due: February 25 and August 27

DLS supports fundamental research that increases our understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural, and biological processes related to children's and adolescents' development and learning. Research supported by this program will add to our basic knowledge of how people learn and the underlying developmental processes that support learning, social functioning, and productive lives as members of society.

DLS supports research that addresses developmental processes within the domains of cognitive, social, emotional, and motor development using any appropriate populations for the topics of interest including infants, children, adolescents, adults, and non-human animals. The program also supports research investigating factors that impact development change including family, peers, school, community, culture, media, physical, genetic, and epigenetic influences. Additional priorities include research that: incorporates multidisciplinary, multi-method, microgenetic, and longitudinal approaches; develops new methods, models, and theories for studying learning and development; includes participants from a range of ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultures; and integrates different processes (e.g., learning, memory, emotion), levels of analysis (e.g., behavioral, social, neural), and time scales (e.g. infancy, middle childhood, adolescence).

Funding: While there are no specific rules about budget limitations, a typical project funded through the DLS program is approximately 3 years in duration with a total cost budget, including both direct and indirect costs, between $100,000 and $200,000 per year. The DLS program also accepts proposals for workshops and small conferences. These typically have total cost budgets, including direct and indirect costs, of approximately $35,000.
Applications due: January 15 and July 15

This funding partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports projects to develop and advance knowledge concerning endangered human languages. Made urgent by the imminent death of roughly half of the approximately 7000 currently used languages, this effort aims to exploit advances in information technology to build computational infrastructure for endangered language research. The program supports projects that contribute to data management and archiving, and to the development of the next generation of researchers. Funding can support fieldwork and other activities relevant to the digital recording, documenting, and archiving of endangered languages, including the preparation of lexicons, grammars, text samples, and databases. Funding will be available in the form of one- to three-year senior research grants as well as fellowships for up to twelve months and doctoral dissertation research improvement grants for up to 24 months.

Funding: Senior Research Projects: Approximately 8-12 Standard or Continuing Grants ranging from $12,000 to $150,000 per year for one to three years.
Fellowships: Up to 12, $4,200 per month for awards lasting from six to twelve months; the maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month tenure period.
Applications due: September 15

The Linguistics Program supports basic science in the domain of human language, encompassing investigations of the grammatical properties of individual human languages, and of natural language in general. Research areas include syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology.

The program encourages projects that are interdisciplinary in methodological or theoretical perspective, and that address questions that cross disciplinary boundaries, such as (but not limited to):

What are the psychological processes involved in the production, perception, and comprehension of language?

What are the computational properties of language and/or the language processor that make fluent production, incremental comprehension or rapid learning possible?

How do the acoustic and physiological properties of speech inform our theories of language and/or language processing?

What role does human neurobiology play in shaping the various components of our linguistic capacities?

How does language develop in children?

What social and cultural factors underlie language variation and change?

The Linguistics Program does not make awards to support clinical research projects, nor does it support work to develop or assess pedagogical methods or tools for language instruction.

The Linguistics Program accepts proposals for a variety of project types: research proposals from scholars with PhDs or equivalent degrees, proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) awards, and CAREER proposals. We will also consider proposals for workshops, conferences, and training activities.
Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Linguistics Program
Applications due: January 15 and July 15

Supports research on perception, action and cognition. Emphasis is on research strongly grounded in theory. Central research topics for consideration by the Perception, Action, and Cognition panel include vision, audition, haptics, attention, memory, reasoning, written and spoken discourse, and motor control. The program encompasses a wide range of theoretical perspectives, such as symbolic computation, connectionism, ecological, nonlinear dynamics, and complex systems, and a variety of methodologies including both experimental studies and modeling. The PAC program is open to co-review of proposals submitted to other programs (e.g., Linguistics, Developmental and Learning Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience, etc). Proposals may involve clinical populations, animals, or computational modeling only if the work has direct impact on basic issues of human perception, action, or cognition.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Perception, Action & Cognition Program
Applications due: Workshops and conferences, April 15 and June 15; Research proposals, February 1 and August 3

The Social Psychology Program at NSF supports basic research on human social behavior, including cultural differences and development over the life span. Among the many research topics supported are: attitude formation and change, social cognition, personality processes, interpersonal relations and group processes, the self, emotion, social comparison and social influence, and the psychophysiological and neurophysiological bases of social behavior. The scientific merit of a proposal depends on four important factors: (1) The problems investigated must be theoretically grounded. (2) The research should be based on empirical observation or be subject to empirical validation. (3) The research design must be appropriate to the questions asked. (4) The proposed research must advance basic understanding of social behavior.

Funding: Variable – see Recent Awards made through the Social Psychology Program
Applications due: January 15 and July 15

Cultivating Cultures for Ethical STEM (CCE STEM) funds research projects that identify factors that are efficacious in the formation of ethical STEM researchers in all the fields of science and engineering that NSF supports. CCE STEM solicits proposals for research that explores the following: ‘What constitutes ethical STEM research and practice? Which cultural and institutional contexts promote ethical STEM research and practice and why?' Factors one might consider include: honor codes, professional ethics codes and licensing requirements, an ethic of service and/or service learning, life-long learning requirements, curricula or memberships in organizations (e.g. Engineers without Borders) that stress social responsibility and humanitarian goals, institutions that serve under-represented groups, institutions where academic and research integrity are cultivated at multiple levels, institutions that cultivate ethics across the curriculum, or programs that promote group work, or do not grade. Do certain labs have a ‘culture of academic integrity'? What practices contribute to the establishment and maintenance of ethical cultures and how can these practices be transferred, extended to, and integrated into other research and learning settings?

Successful proposals typically have a comparative dimension, either between or within institutional settings that differ along these or other factors. CCE STEM research projects will use basic research to produce knowledge about what constitutes responsible or irresponsible, just or unjust scientific practices and sociotechnical systems, and how to best instill students with this knowledge.

About Villanova

Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of St. Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges.